Met Office Weather: Clearer spells and rising temperatures heading into the weekend

As we head into the weekend, the weather looks set for a mix of sunny spells, rain, and patchy drizzle, with temperatures looking warmer. 

Friday will start with isolated fog patches that will soon clear, leading to sunny spells for many areas. It will feel fairly warm in light winds, especially away from North Sea coasts. However, outbreaks of rain, some locally heavy, will affect Northern Ireland and parts of the far western UK, where it will be breezy and cooler. A few showers are expected ahead of this over Wales.

Friday night will see a rain band making slow eastward progress into Scotland, Wales, and western England, gradually fragmenting. Fog patches will form over Northern Ireland after the rain clears. Elsewhere, variable cloud and clear spells will occur, with local grass frost and isolated fog patches forming.

Friday will feel warm in sunshine and light winds for many, with temperatures widely ranging from 15-17°C, locally reaching 18°C, though cooler along North Sea coasts.

On Friday night, frontal rain across Northern Ireland will become persistent and locally heavy on south/southeast-facing upslopes, with 30-40 mm likely on upslopes (mainly Sperrins, Mournes) by the end of Friday. Less rain is expected elsewhere, typically 5-10 mm.

Friday evening will also be chilly with local grass frost, mainly in the east. Mild temperatures are expected elsewhere.

As we head into Saturday, the weekend weather will start off with increasingly patchy rain and drizzle edging east across Scotland, Wales, western, and perhaps central parts of England, possibly isolated heavy showers in central and western Scotland. Bright spells are expected in the east ahead of this and to the west behind it. Temperatures will be near average, slightly above either side of the frontal zone, locally reaching 20°C in southeast England.

Saturday night will turn chilly with local grass frost and some residual patchy rain, drizzle, and showers decaying, turning chilly with fog patches and low cloud forming in places. The far northwest will turn wet and windy

Clare Nasir, Met Office presenter and meteorologist, said: “Through this morning it's a mix of low clouds some mist and fog patches but also some clearer skies allowing for some sunshine. Also fine for southern Scotland and northwest England, but cloud and rain across Northern Ireland pushing towards the Isle of Man and the western side of Scotland.

“This morning the cloud will slowly break across England and Wales away from the western side of Wales where you'll see filaments of rain just clipping that side. Elsewhere breaking cloud will allow for some sunshine.

“It will be a fine end to the day with a mix of cloud and sunshine. This will allow temperatures to rise to around 16°C to 18° C Cooler along the east coast of England and under the clouds.

“Now through this evening and overnight the rain over Northern Ireland continues.  Elsewhere some clearer skies maybe even some mist and fog forming along this eastern strip here as we see a little bit of wet weather extend towards West Wales, the West Country, northwest England, central and western areas of Scotland. But good news, on Saturday Northern Ireland will have a much better start to the day with some fine weather if not some sunshine by around mid-morning into lunchtime.

“It will be showery for Scotland with some showers also likely across the spine of the country down towards East Wales, central and southern England. Now for Northern Ireland the clouds will break, possibly seeing one or two showers but overall some drier weather. We hang on to drier conditions across the eastern counties of England with some sunshine coming through. A change of wind direction means temperatures will be higher along the eastern strip 14°C to 16°C, 20°C in the southeast, and even 16°C across the central belt of Scotland.”

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